


running faster than the night

by angstinspace



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Battle Couple, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Friends, Eloping, Established Relationship, F/M, POV Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, byleth is a knight, dimitri is still a prince lol, she/her and they/them pronouns for byleth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29846265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstinspace/pseuds/angstinspace
Summary: Maybe they shouldn’t have taken this shortcut, Dimitri thought as an arrow whisked past his ear.Admittedly, it had been his own idea. He’d been too caught up in the idea of spontaneous elopement at the time, it seemed worth the risk to cut through a dangerous pass to get to the church faster. He’d assured Byleth that their chances of being ambushed were low, but ... well, apparently he’d been wrong.Dimitri and Byleth are eloping, but run into a bit of trouble along the way.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	running faster than the night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bleulily (wollstoncrafts)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wollstoncrafts/gifts).



> wow my first ever dimileth fic!! this was commissioned from me by [moira](https://twitter.com/nymphlings) –– thank you for commissioning me and giving me the opportunity to finally write a fic about these two, i had so much fun writing it! 
> 
> there's some canon-typical violence in this, mention of blood, etc. but no gore or anything like that. 
> 
> byleth uses she/they pronouns in this, so if you notice the switching between pronouns...it's intentional lol. 
> 
> anyway hope y'all enjoy! :) 
> 
> (title comes from "[starlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaTKStvPO7g)" by storme)

Maybe they _shouldn’t_ have taken this shortcut, Dimitri thought as an arrow whisked past his ear. 

Admittedly, it had been his own idea. He’d been too caught up in the idea of spontaneous elopement at the time, it seemed worth the risk to cut through a dangerous pass to get to the church faster. He’d assured Byleth that their chances of being ambushed were low, but ... well, apparently he’d been wrong.

Fortunately, Byleth had brought her bow and arrow just in case, and was now putting it to use. As she sat on the horse’s back behind Dimitri, she let one arrow after another fly through the air. Dimitri knew, without having to look, that each one hit its target—partly because of the choked cry and heavy _thud_ that always followed the sound of an arrow taking flight, but also because Byleth never missed. Despite the circumstances, he couldn’t help but smirk with pride. 

His smile dropped, though, when another group of bandits leapt out from where they’d been hiding in the brush, blocking the path. Dimitri pulled on the horse’s reins, but apparently he’d moved too suddenly. Startled, the horse reared up with an alarmed whinny, sending Dimitri and Byleth toppling towards the ground. 

The sky reeled upwards in Dimitri’s vision, and he landed so hard on his back that the air was knocked out of his lungs. He distantly heard the sound of the horse galloping off into the woods, and he cursed inwardly.

By some miracle, at least, he’d managed not to land on Byleth and hurt them; they must have rolled to one side just in time. They were already kneeling next to Dimitri and grasping at his arm as he winced and sat up. 

“Dimitri! Are you alright?”

He coughed and nodded. But he didn’t have time to assure Byleth he was fine—because right then, he saw that about a dozen bandits were rushing towards them from all sides, their footsteps thundering on the ground as they let out furious battle cries. 

Byleth leapt to her feet and stood protectively in front of Dimitri. He noticed, as he stood up beside her, that there was a long tear in the side of her light pink dress—her favorite one, which she’d picked out this morning when they’d decided they were officially eloping. Although Dimitri felt a brief twinge of guilt that the dress had torn, it still looked stunning on Byleth—and she looked as fierce right now as when she was dressed head-to-toe in armor.

Now was not the time to reflect on that, however, as their enemies were gaining on them. Byleth spared a glance over her shoulder at Dimitri, and they exchanged a knowing nod. Without needing to say another word, Dimitri turned around so they were standing back-to-back. He pulled out the dagger from the scabbard at his hip, bracing himself as several bandits sprinted towards him. 

Byleth began firing arrows, taking out the attackers that were still a short distance away. Dimitri stayed right behind Byleth, lunging forward to take on any bandits that dared to come within closer range. 

Everything was happening almost too quickly for Dimitri to keep up with. It didn’t help that fighting with a dagger was not his strong suit—he’d only brought it along in case of emergencies. But he managed to defend himself with well-timed jabs of the short blade, until he was able to swipe a sword from one fallen enemy. 

He was more at ease once he had a stronger weapon in hand, and parried the blow of a bandit who had been trying to sneak up on Byleth from behind. Their blades clashed several times until Dimitri delivered the killing blow—a plunge of the sword through his opponent’s chest. He pulled the blade free with a grunt of effort, and the bandit tumbled to the ground. 

At the same time, Byleth cried, “Dimitri, look out!”

He turned just in time to see another enemy stepping out from behind a tree and pointing an arrow straight at him. He was about to dash out of the way, but there was no need—in one fluid movement, Byleth jumped in front of him and shot their last arrow. In the blink of an eye, the bandit fell with the arrow protruding from his heart. 

Dimitri had thought that was the last of it—but then noticed one last bandit lurking between two trees in the near distance, his sights set on Byleth as he raised the axe in his hands. Before the bandit could rush forward and strike, Dimitri grasped for his dagger once more, and threw it across the clearing. He wasn’t the most skilled at distant attacks—having only one eye limited his depth perception—but the Goddess had granted him luck today, because the dagger sailed straight into the enemy’s chest and he fell with a _thud_. 

There was no sound then, except for Dimitri and Byleth both breathing heavily in the stillness as they scoured the surrounding area. There was no sign of further adversaries; all of the bandits either lay on the ground or had fled. 

Rolling her shoulders back, Byleth walked over to the bandit Dimitri had just felled, and plucked the dagger free from the dead man’s chest. She frowned at the blood on it, then wiped the blade on her skirt as she strolled back across the clearing and handed the dagger to Dimitri. 

“Ah ... thank you, dearest,” he said, dazed and out of breath, as he slid the knife back into its scabbard. A small knot of concern remained his chest as he looked Byleth over, but he didn’t see any trace of injury—just that their dress was smudged with dirt and blood. 

He couldn’t help but think of the day he had first met them—when Jeralt, captain of the guard, had introduced his child, who had just returned from exploring the woods. Dimitri had been about ten years old, but he could still remember how entranced he’d felt upon seeing Byleth standing at her father’s side. She had reminded him of a faerie, with little twigs in her seafoam green hair, and her large inquisitive eyes that matched in color. 

Dimitri was snapped out of the memory by the sensation of Byleth’s hand around his wrist. She didn’t say anything, but Dimitri could read the signal—an indication that they should get out of here in case any other adversaries appeared. 

Hand-in-hand, they ran through the woods until they were far enough away from the site of the battle, then Byleth stumbled to a stop and whirled around to face Dimitri. He almost ran into her, but was stopped by her hands against his chest. 

Without speaking, she ran her fingers over the front of his white shirt, which was now spattered with patches of crimson. There was a pinch of worry in her brow when she looked up at him, an unspoken question in her eyes. 

He took hold of Byleth’s wrists, stilling her hands. “It’s alright, my beloved. I’m not hurt.” 

He brushed his lips against her knuckles. He was about to ask Byleth if she was unhurt as well—but he didn’t have time, because right then Byleth tugged her hands free and dug her fingers into the front of his shirt, pulling him into a kiss.

They’d kissed many times, of course, but something about this one felt particularly familiar. Dimitri thought, distantly, that it reminded him of the day they’d first confessed to each other several years ago. 

It had been after a similar perilous situation; on the way home from a diplomatic journey, a group of assassins had attacked Dimitri’s carriage and dragged him out onto the road. Fortunately, Byleth and a couple of other knights had accompanied him, and had easily taken out the assassins. 

Later on, once they’d safely arrived home, Dimitri had met Byleth behind the training grounds. He could still remember it as clear as day: the way she’d strode towards him, haloed by the setting sun, her pale hair flowing in the wind. He’d asked her if she was alright, and she responded by pressing him against the wall and kissing him.

Even before then, Dimitri had known he would never love anyone the way he loved Byleth. He would never be happy if he settled for some arranged marriage. Byleth inspired a feeling in him that no one else ever had—a feeling of truly being _known_ and loved and safe. 

He swore sometimes that Byleth could read his every thought with their stare, and they always knew precisely what to say when they sensed Dimitri was upset. More than that, Dimitri always felt so alive when he spent any time with Byleth at all—even if they were just sparring at the training grounds, or drinking tea together and talking for hours. 

He’d also always known, however, that his parents would never approve of him marrying a knight. And so it had been countless months of hiding their relationship, of midnight strolls and stolen kisses and whispered promises. They had both always longed for something more than that, though—to have a future where they could freely be together, away from the pressure and expectations of society. They’d discussed eloping, somewhat jokingly at first. But the idea had grown steadily more appealing—until this morning, when they’d finally decided that they couldn’t wait any longer and that there was no time like the present. 

As Dimitri had explained in the letter he’d left behind for his parents, he didn’t intend to leave home forever—just that he was going to marry Byleth, and that they would be spending at least their first few months together on their own, free from scorn or judgement. They would go back someday, and there was no saying whether they would be met with acceptance or not, but ... Dimitri felt surprisingly calm about it, confident that he had made the right decision despite what his family might think.

All that mattered was the person in his arms right now, who he trusted and cherished more than anyone in the world. And he tried to convey those emotions wordlessly with each of his actions—with the gentle way he slid his hands up Byleth’s back and held her against him, the way he tenderly pressed his lips to hers again and again. Byleth responded by throwing their arms around Dimitri’s neck, standing on their toes to deepen the kiss. It felt a bit hurried and desperate at first, but they both soon fell into a more practiced rhythm, trading gentle but passionate ministrations that left them both breathless. 

When they stopped at last, they remained so close that their foreheads almost touched. Dimitri used his thumb to wipe away a smudge of dirt on Byleth’s cheekbone. He let out a small huff that was nearly a laugh, his breath stirring a few stray strands of hair that had fallen across Byleth’s face. 

“I’m glad we made it out of there safely,” he said.

Byleth smiled, lifting their hands to give Dimitri’s wrists a gentle squeeze. “Me, too,” she said, then looked up to observe the sun, which had started to dip lower in the sky. “But we should probably be going. We still have to make it to the church before sundown.”

“You mean ... you still want to get married today?”

“Of course.” Byleth tilted their head. “Why, do you not want to ... ?”

“No, no. I do,” Dimitri said sincerely. “I just thought, with everything we’ve been through today, maybe you would want to wait. But I’m certainly ready if you are.”

Byleth gave a single nod. “We’ve both waited long enough, don’t you think?”

Those words sparked a sudden determination in Dimitri’s veins. It was true; they had both spent years waiting for this day. And if anything, their daring escape from death had only solidified Dimitri’s decision to marry Byleth as soon as possible.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for them to find their horse grazing in a nearby clearing, and they continued on their way. When they reached the church at last, it was nearing sundown and the golden sunlight glinted off the tall, stained glass windows. 

Holding hands, Dimitri and Byleth raced up the stone steps and flung the doors open. Their arrival startled the lone monk inside, who was sweeping the aisle between the pews. He yelped and almost dropped his broom, then gaped at the sight of the pair standing in the doorway—both of them breathing hard, their clothes torn and spattered with blood. 

“I—goodness, are you two alright? Have you come seeking refuge ... ?”

The monk’s voice trailed off as his gaze focused on Dimitri, his eyes widening with recognition, and Dimitri tried not to wince. It wasn’t easy to disguise himself, when everyone in the kingdom knew the prince was a tall, fair-haired man with an eyepatch. 

He settled for a polite smile. “Ah, no,” he said. “We would like to get married, actually.” 

“Married?” the monk repeated. A furrow creased his brow as he looked them up and down once more, taking in their state of disarray. “Are you certain—”

“Yes,” Byleth answered before the monk could complete the question. She squeezed Dimitri’s hand, and the two of them exchanged an adoring smile. 

“Absolutely certain,” Dimitri agreed. 

The monk paused, then ducked his head down like he wasn’t sure whether to bow or not. “I see. I shall find the pastor right away.” He began to shuffle away with such great haste that they barely had time to thank him. 

As soon as the monk had disappeared through one of the side doors, Dimitri looked down at Byleth, to find that they were still gazing up at him. His heart stuttered at the realization that he was about to spend the rest of his life with her, but his hand was surprisingly steady as he ran his thumb over her knuckles.

“Are you ready, my love?”

Byleth’s eyes glimmered. “I’ve never been more ready for anything.”

Dimitri certainly shared that sentiment. And so, he and Byleth strode forward side-by-side towards the altar ... and towards the bright future that lay ahead of them. 

**Author's Note:**

> the end, and thanks for reading! i always appreciate all of your comments and kudos. 💕
> 
> if you enjoyed this fic, you can check out my [other works](https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstinspace/pseuds/angstinspace/works), and/or you can follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/angst_in_space) where i am often posting my writing updates!


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